Mason has been ‘ enjoying’ his recent hiatus from alcohol. This year has been longer than most due to Europe’s ‘heat dome’ of 2026, which has had him reach for this Eagle Rare 10yo upon return.

In another of Charlies series, he looks at the exact opposite of Diageo’s so-called ‘workhorse’ distilleries. This time it’s the tiny Royal Lochnagar, a rare thing indeed, and finding an indy proves tricky.

Once in a store, Ogilvie heartily recommended this Jack Daniels Barrel Proof to an acquaintance. When he returns to a bottle three years later, he realises some things change, if fact sometimes everything does.

Broddy gathers seven bottles of SMOS Reserve Cask Small Batch releases in a single mega review. He justifies his scoring for each while dropping a bombshell of heresy about oatcakes.

Charlie continues his deep dive into new distilleries (to him), this time uncovering the two ‘Glens’ of Ord and ‘Dullan, then comparing two Special releases to indies from James Eadie and the Thompson Bros.

In a hurry to get to funner places, Wally phoned one in. This time it’s a limited edition Macallan, and there’s nothing - yet somehow everything - wrong with it.

Charlie picks up three blends from the past - his own past - and dips in to see what he was missing. A Chivas Regal 12yo from the 1970s alongside an old Johnnie Walker Swing and a 1980s Teachers.

A stranger to Glenlossie until 2025, Charlie uncovered one of Diageo’s ‘blend houses’ in a Cadenhead’s tasting. Typically for him, a pleasant experience and a bottle purchase finds him exploring and comparing.

In the first of his series of “Official vs Indy” reviews, Charlie tees up one of our most evocative comparisons: Clynelish. The question is, will he uncover any of the W-word?

There aren’t many Irish whiskeys (or whiskies!) showing up in Murdo’s market, but he finds a Marsala Cask from Boann and pulls the trigger. Is it worth it? Is it any more transparent? Is it whisky or whiskey?

Three of the team hark back to Christmas vibes as they each, independently, happen upon a Signatory 100º Proof Exceptional Cask Glentauchers. As is typical with Dramface, it divides opinion.

In order to calm the tensions of travel, Archie once enjoyed an airport beer. These days, however, he’s moved up a few levels: Planedrams. In his Plaincairn on this trip he revisits an old faithful Glenfarclas 12yo.

Feeling the crunch on his finances, Mason gets introspective. Facing over-accumulation, he naively attempts a slow down and a clear out of languishing bottles & revisits a Cadenhead’s 11yo Garioch.

After nearly smashing this bottle of Annandale before the photo shoot, Fletcher recalls the times he’s lost whiskies through packing fails and baggage handling fails. He also wants to know why this malt is such a positioning fail.

Despite enjoying his new home, Ogilvie continues to find frustration in his state-controlled ‘Whisky Desert’ of North Carolina. Then he happens upon not one, but two home-grown whiskies!

In revisiting an old favourite, Hughie puts the case forward for 40% ABV entry level offerings, as well as the dangers of applying the strategy to the rest of the range. AnCnoc 12 is in the glass.

Earie has given up worrying about the scale of his ‘collection’ and admitting that the fun is in buying more whisky. He trusts SMOS and buys blind, but he may have come a cropper on this Dailuaine.

Once in a while along comes a flavour profile that stretches our frame of reference in whisky enjoyment. Enter Hughie and his astonishment over a bottle of Ardara Irish Single Malt. He’s intrigued.

Ally shares the concept of ‘bus drams’. This is a known practice and there are protocols and potential for social faux pas. But there are ways around it. Bring ‘interesting’ drams. Like this 19yo Jura from Milroys.

Hamish is drawn to comparing Lochlea’s new Dark Briar to the similar sherry-cask Fallow Edition. In doing so he starts to wonder how the concept of a ‘core range’ ever came about in malt whisky.